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by Andreas Schleicher Director, Directorate for Education and Skills Italy is the birthplace of Leonardo, Galileo and Armani. For centuries, skilled Italians have been recognised for their contributions to the world’s art, science, and culture. A relatively small country, with scarce natural resources, Italy today is among the world’s leading industrialised economies and is home to millions of firms, including many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), who play a prominent role in many key global value chains. So the skills of Italy’s population matter. Not only for their own country, but also for their contribution to the future prosperity and well-being of the global community.  Italy’s future prosperity depends upon the skills of its people Today, Italy is facing a skills gap. OECD Surveys measuring the skills of 15 year-olds ( PISA ) and adults between the ages of 16 and 64 years old ( Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC ) have detected a significant shortfall in skills  co...

by Andreas Schleicher  Director for Education and Skills, OECD The Dutch are known for making a virtue of necessity. Now is a time when their reputation will be put to the test. The Netherlands’ economy and society are being transformed by technological change, increased economic integration, population ageing, increased migration and other pressures. A highly skilled population with the opportunities, incentives and motivation to develop and use their skills fully and effectively will be essential for confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the future. The Dutch skills system is strong compared to others internationally, but still the Dutch understand that for a small country with an open economy to remain competitive, it will need to reinforce the foundation of skills on which Dutch success has been built. The OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report: Netherlands , published today, identifies nine key skills challenges for the Netherlands and three priority area...